Cronicle

The Rain of July Moon

By Arpan Rachman

Forgive me, lost time by above title of one month. It to be is true cannot excel the title of poem from Sapardi Djoko Damono. On the other hand, I must write in May. However, that month is grilling hot no rain, even dot even also drizzle.

Mister Pardi narrates the simple love, “... to fire making dusty it”. And I do not willing to cite the popular idiom from lip of Cinta Laura, artist of mixture of parent origin from that Germany-Java, “Have muddy, nope there is ojek....”

Palembang, the town in my home address, has been nicknamed by “the Venice of the East”. However, high-rise wooden house pillar two riparian of Musi do not made than concrete of like antique building consecution in Venice.

Peoples of Palembang called to inveterate podium house pillar as “cagak” what stake from wood “tembesu”. Some people recognize as wood pared from one tree “trembesi”. Named “trembesi” perhaps its endurance cause as sturdy as iron.

When WS Rendra tell every poet own house in wind, hence our people recognize the tradition own house in river periphery. I guess, from a long-long time, every country of Musi River, each of the countrified, ancient, and old always built riparian.

We ordinary mention the shares side river periphery as “sea”, while spelled out members great roadside shares “land”. Somebody moment which will take a bath to river for example interrogated “Will where?” surely he reply, “To sea”. On the contrary if going to market or circle at elbow roadway, he of course easy to say, “To land”.

Nevertheless, that tradition individuality totally disappeared almost us town. To left behind, only people from just area above upstream. For a while in number defect the downstream, have more and more seldom be seen by a raft house sticking its pillar into water of Musi River.

In the area go downstream it is true still stand up the market of 16 Ilir, port of Boom Baru, fortress of Kuto Besak, and market of Sekanak which become the omissions a period to ago. Far area of river upstream, riparian kampong of Musi, which is from direction of area Kertapati to area Plaju stand at bay, although with the foundation which almost moulder defeated by epoch.

My father passed away, what is in its teen-age have worked as tekeenaar (marker) at Geologische Afdeling (part of geology) in Bataafsche of Petroleum Maatschappij (oil company Dutch), telling a story that origin of name Plaju: a refinery area in the cross upstream, taken away from by the one few leaves only tree. That tree live the near by port of Boom Bawah Skendal, place of ship of pontoon of conveyor of oil labour defect to come home. That tree bear fruit and its fruit named “fast fruit”.

However, as my father passed away, that tree also nowadays omit the name. Moreover, I pray to them in the middle of rapid rain of July moon.